06/18/2026
I’m starting to understand why some topics in agriculture just aren’t ready for social media.
It’s not the science that’s complicated. It’s the environment.
Platforms reward outrage and hot button issues. Calm explanations don’t trend. Controversy does!
Some ag topics are harder to talk about publicly than others.
Not because farmers are hiding anything, but because certain subjects get so controversial that the conversation stops being productive.
There are practices in agriculture that are heavily regulated, tested, monitored, and completely normal within the industry, but the moment they’re mentioned online, people assume the worst. And when that happens, a lot of farmers, us included, stay quiet, even if they use those practices themselves. Not out of guilt, but out of self‑preservation.
And let’s be honest, social media platforms reward divisiveness. Calm explanations don’t get pushed. Posts that spark outrage, fear, or arguments get boosted because they keep people on the app longer. That makes it even harder to have a reasonable conversation about anything complex.
The reality is:
– Some topics are scientifically straightforward but emotionally loaded
– Some require more context than a comment section can hold
– And some conversations the public just isn’t ready to have calmly
It doesn’t mean the practice is wrong. It means the environment for discussing it isn’t right.
Sometimes the hardest part of ag communication is knowing where that line is.
Maybe one day we’ll reach a point where “different” doesn’t automatically mean “wrong,” and people can think outside the box without getting piled on.
We’re clearly not there yet.
